


Flirting

by tendocandy



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 21:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19858027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tendocandy/pseuds/tendocandy
Summary: Number One knows what's up. What does she know that Pike doesn't?





	Flirting

“Lieutenant, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting with me.” Pike looked his vulcan officer straight in the eyes, speaking as evenly as he could muster, watching Spock’s expression twitch just enough to give him away; the lift of one eyebrow ever so slightly, and the tiniest shift at the corners of his mouth. Spock’s own gaze was unwavering and piercing.

“I have no idea what you mean. Perhaps you could...demonstrate later.” Spock flatly replied. Pike thought he detected a pinch of dry humor in the vulcan’s words, and he smirked a little himself.

“. . . uh-huh.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pike hadn’t noticed initially. It was little things he chalked up to attentiveness and Spock’s fastidious vulcan manner. He was used to crushes from crew members, but those were human reactions, and while Spock was half human, his manners were not. He’d catch Una in a sly smile when Spock would bring him a report or card with data, and the young officer would wait patiently for a response before returning to his seat, but nothing that told him anything was amiss.

But something about the lingering attention, focus on his hands or eyes, felt off. Not even in the officer’s mess was there ever any real flag that something was up. But Una, reliable Number One, couldn’t keep the amused smirk from her lips when she’d join them for meals, always eyeing the young vulcan first before sliding her gaze to the captain.

He’d even asked her about the repeat smirk. She’d just shrugged and recommended he’d pay a little closer attention to his vulcan.

‘His’ vulcan. The way she had said it made him take pause. And then he found himself in the lift with his young officer, and accidentally initiated a staring contest with his query as he studied the young man.

Now he stood at the railing taking stock of the bridge crew before moving to the chair, but kept a closer eye on Spock. Not a single hint that anything was off the entire shift. Una still smirked to herself occasionally though. Frustrating. 

But he did catch the looks that he had missed before; quick almost furtive glances that could be read for attentiveness by anyone else, that he had read them as before, but now . . . maybe Una was onto something. He snorted in amusement behind his hand as he sat, another slow shift while his crew ran their exploratory scans and orders. 

He was actually considering it. Why the hell not?  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three shifts of nothing. Neither one would breach what was said in the lift; carried on like routine never made a blip. Just furtive glances or stares on both sides now, and Una shaking her head in amusement.

Shift number four found them both in the lift again. This time Spock paused the lift, turning to face Pike as his hand came away from the control.

“Captain, I believe we need to address something.” Spock declared as he turned to face the captain. Pike looked at him, brow creased with curiosity and amusement.

“The flirting?” He smirked past his question. Spock’s eyebrows raised just slightly.

“I . . . yes.” Pike just stood waiting for Spock to continue his thought as the young man’s eyes flitted briefly aside to break eye contact. “If I may be permitted. . . “ Pike fought to keep the smirk under control as Spock sought the right words. “. . . I do not know exactly how to approach this.” The smirk broke free.

“Well, Mr. Spock, if I recall, you began this. If you still need me to demonstrate, as you stated, I suppose you’ll have to clarify what, exactly, you need me to demonstrate.” Spock’s gaze had steadied, and the slightest green flush grew over ears and cheekbones. “Well, I suppose I can help this along- do vulcans kiss?” He tested, watching Spock’s gaze waver a little, the tiniest veneer of worry crossing his features, almost imperceptible. Pike waited for an answer.

“Not like humans, but I can learn.” Something changed in Spock’s eyes, and Pike was pretty sure he’d just been lied to. His smirk softened.

“After dinner, then.” He reached over to twist the lift control, sending them to the bridge again, captain and officer not breaking eye contact till the lift came to a halt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was. . . charged, for lack of a better description. Pike was content just going through his usual dinner routine with his officers, but Spock radiated quiet impatience now. It was subtle and hard to track, but it was there in the way his fingers tapped at his utensils, in how his eyes flicked between food and Pike’s hands and eyes. It was making him unexpectedly nervous. 

Not nervous because it had been years since his last male dalliance, but that this was Spock. Much younger, his subordinate, alien, unattuned to some of the strange human quirks of social romance. . . he had to remind himself just to start small. He casually watched Spock finish, and depart, looking back at him before passing through the doorway. Pike gave himself a few moments to finish before getting up and following, making sure there was no sense of rushed impulse, no hurry, no cueing other officers to anything out of the ordinary.

Except Number One of course. Una just winked and waved her fingers, triggering an eyeroll from Pike. Then he was out into the hallway, but no science officer to be found. 

He felt . . . let down. Maybe Spock reconsidered. Maybe he assumed it was inappropriate. Maybe, maybe, maybe. . . but he recognized the vulcan’s figure waiting patiently further down the hall, barely leaning against the corner of the cross junction just past the hexagonal door framing, looking down towards the floor, uncharacteristically restless as he rocked on his heels.

He picked up his speed through the hall just a touch, and slowed as he reached Spock, and gently tapped him on the shoulder. Spock looked up expectantly, almost . . . smiling again.

“You mind if we just . . . walk?” Pike asked. He still wasn’t sure what exactly he should be doing at this point, and walking always helped him focus.

“I would be quite fine with that.” Spock fell in beside Pike with ease as they strode towards the farther end of the deck, to a quieter off-duty observation lounge Pike occasionally haunted when it was late for him and he couldn’t sleep. They felt no need to clutter the silence between them with words and disrupt the comfort despite Spock’s obvious and eager edge as he walked. 

Pike still rolled his thoughts in his head, debating what he was supposed to do next when he felt first Spock bump up against him, shoulder to shoulder, then the feather light touch of his fingertips tapping against his own, seeking to entwine, fingers between fingers. Pike allowed it, realizing he was overthinking this whole thing.

Several minutes passed as they walked, Pike occasionally glancing over to study Spock’s profile while Spock mostly kept his gaze forward. Mostly. 

The observation deck was empty, quiet, only dimly lit from within, mostly lit from the distant nebula, far but still filling most of the observable space from the ship. Scenery like this still amazed Pike, but as often as he’d seen it from the bridge, it was never the same as from the deck. It was Spock’s turn to observe him, watching Pike’s eyes wander the maze of the nebula’s glitterlit clouds, then Spock’s fingers were pulling his own upwards, wrapping them both in his other hand, and passing the slightest fluttering sensation of want into Pike.

Pike stared at Spock; he knew full well what it was he just experienced, and was entirely caught off guard as another flutter carried into his own nervous system. He looked down to their intertwined fingers and pulled Spock’s overlapping hand down into his free one before looking back up.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Pike asked, testing. Spock looked aside briefly then caught his eyes in a piercing gaze, dark orbs reflecting the colors of the nebula outside.

“Yes.” One word, whispered with surety, was all Pike wanted. Needed, he realized. He brought Spock’s free hand up and turned it, planting a kiss against the base of the palm, the wrist, then looked back up as he dropped it and moved closer. He left their fingers intertwined and pulled, bringing Spock in to close the circuit. Pike remembered his suspicion that he had been lied to about kissing, and tested, first with something soft and chaste, then with pressing his tongue slipping against the vulcan’s lip, and he found it sucked in, Spock’s own tongue meeting it and pushing past. He fought down a laugh in response and let Spock pull away first after some time exploring, savoring the touch.

Spock cocked his head a little as Pike’s mouth curled in with a small smile.

“You lied to me about this.” He softly mentioned. Spock’s eyes widened just a touch, looking as if he would pull away, but Pike caught his hip, stilling him. “I’m just amused, that’s all.”

“I didn’t think you’d take this seriously…”

“I didn’t. Not at first.” Pike responded, squeezing their entwined fingers a little as he took in the small twitches in Spock’s expression, mostly unreadable in the dim light. He felt Spock’s free hand come up and rest against his shoulder first, then found their way into Pike’s hair, cradling the back of his skull and sending more of the tantalizing little spears of want through that touch, then Spock was against him again, mouth warm and invitingly soft against Pike’s own. His hand slid around Spock’s waist, pulling up the lieutenant’s jacket enough to slide his hand under and against skin-hot fabric of the shirt underneath. The fingers at his scalp curled and dug in, pulling hair just a touch, enough to make Pike growl low in response.

The sudden chatter of the end shift came ahead of several crew members by seconds, then the quick hush as the two were caught in their curious side glances, not enough time for captain and officer to pull apart before the crewmen were gone down the opposite end of the observation deck to whatever destination they were off to. Spock pulled back and pursed his lips together tightly, as if in embarrassment, keeping his eyes lowered to Pike’s shoulder.

“I guess we’re found out.” Pike smiled gently as Spock looked back up, eyebrows up in worry.

“This would constitute fraternization under Starfleet rules… we could be. . .”

“Nonsense.” Pike took a pause, studying Spock’s sharply delicate features. “I mean, you’re an officer. You began this, and I’m not taking advantage of you. It’s just sating curiosity right now, after all.” Spock’s eyes stayed fixated on Pike’s own. 

“. . . curiosity. . . “ Pike felt Spock pull back, and suddenly he was afraid it would end here, and his fingers entwined with Spock’s own tightened their grip.

“I don’t know about you, but I am awfully curious about taking it further.” Pike smirked, and he felt Spock’s fingers dig into his scalp again, and watched a small smile form to mirror his.

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly dedicated to killermanatee, Ishipeverythingever, and BetaArtemis for being my fluffy Spike shipper cheer squad XD


End file.
